Mannerism
by The Crimson Wing
Summary: Kakashi had always known his limits, those boundaries that he could not cross. Then, a variable popped out at him. [Yaoi alert! Rated for language]


**Authors Note-** Gah, don't you hate it when life hurls those little things at you, the things that make you want to cry and drop everything? Well, I had one of those moments and dropped two stories I was working on. Bugger. Then, I read something, something that made me giggle like a mad woman with a most…interesting pairing with Kakashi. 

Anywho, after that I had this mental image stuck in my head that just would not go away! And so arose this, while in the car driving down from our little mountain. I apologize in advance if this sucks. It's a bit on the dark side, but nothing like 'oh my god vomit'. I hope you enjoy and I shall SHAMELESSLY ADVERTISE for that story at the end of this because it was soooo wonderful. 

Though it does kind of relate to mine a lot…which makes me feel like I'm being all copy-ish… BUT GAH! NO! Read them both, then bitch at me if such a terrible thing is true and I shall chop my own head off T-T. 

**Warning-** YAOI. ;x Kchah! 

**Disclaimer-** Not mine. Really. If Naruto was mine, I would have a lot more of Hinata being adorable, SasuNaru yaoi off to the side nearly constantly for my best friend, and a lot more of Gaara and Lee time, because they are SO lovers! And I would know where Kankuro and Gaara went after the fights during the Sasuke retrieval art. Seriously, where the HELL DID THEY GO?!

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**Mannerism**

Kakashi had always known his limits to everything. How many times he could use his Sharingan in a month, how long he could hold his breath under water during an intense battle, everything. This need for boundaries extended especially to whom, where, and how he would, to put it bluntly, fuck. Because really, the Copy Nin couldn't 'make love', that would require love, a precious trait that he had yet to find in another. And sex was too obscure and soft sounding to show just exactly what he could-and probably would- do.

But then, boundaries could always be tested by something. For instance, say Orochimaru attacked Konoha, not three, but four times in a month, forcing Kakashi to use the Sharingan a single time more. Or maybe someone punched him an extra time or two, causing him to gasp and choke on water. Those variables could be potentially deadly. Fortunately, such things did not relate very well to fucking and no complex variable had brought about the inevitable doom of his rules.

All it was were two shinobi needing to get laid. That's it. The boundaries for Kakashi included no enemies of Konoha or foreigners (a rule he, on occasion for certain circumstances, stretched) and absolutely no one that would get him into trouble. Say, loudmouthed minors.

For a time this all worked very well. He was contented with ravishing his fellow Konoha Jounin, Chunin, and ANBU when the sudden urge overtook him. No sudden impulses caught his breath in the field of battle, no insane craving made his blood boil over with lust.

Then a rather strange oddity burst into his radar. An oddity in the form of a male with a strong set of shoulders, piercing forest green eyes, and a cynical spin on life that closely resembled his own.

Now none of this sounds like a problem. Hell, Kakashi under normal circumstances would have been thrilled (to an extent) to find a powerful shinobi with good mate qualities. But the circumstances were far from normal, jumping right outside his boundaries into 'foreign minor' land.

But damn it all if he didn't still want the bastard. Kakashi couldn't very well say he loved aforementioned bastard male, he knew not of the true sensation attached to such an emotion. He'd often been accused of loving his 'eternal rival', Might Gai, and while that may have very well been true, something was different with this not-quite-man, so all the Sharingan Knight could say for sure was that he wanted him, felt the burning need far down deep in his very being that screamed a loud 'FUCK ME'. What made it even harder ( damn near impossible really) to resist was that he had a feeling that his prize wanted him too.

How had he reached the conclusion that a one Kankuro, brother of Sabaku no Gaara the Kazekage and Temari the Windmaster, wanted him? Well...

* * *

"Temari, get Gaara out of here."

The surprised oldest sibling looked to her two younger brothers, one looking equally surprised at the other. Kankuro stood, Karasu out and his summoning scroll at the ready, staring down at his older sister. She stood gaping at him, most likely for the thought of removing the Kazekage, and maybe a little for the order itself.

"Kankuro?" She questioned, voice sharp with sternness bred of being an older sister. At his side Gaara asked much the same with his harsh jade stare.

The unflinching gazes of both brothers met, one calculating and the other emanating a strong urgency. Gaara's stare fluctuated a bit, attempted to comprehend the desperation that was so pungent upon his older brother. The Puppet Master itched to reach out and grasp his brother, to shake him and make him understand.

Of course, this would be potentially deadly and, if not, bad for his health, so he resisted.

"You are needed back in Suna, this," Kankuro gestured to an army of sound nin behind them, currently battling their allies of Konoha, "cannot be all."

Interest lit Gaara's features. If this were really his brother's motive and concern, then the young Kazekage would have been sent out to massacre the enemy long ago while Temari went home. Something was amiss. "Kankuro," he responded in a calm monotone, this saying all the words that he needed.

"You just got out of the hospital from an illness," Kankuro's gaze darkened dramatically at the mention, "you need something easier then this." Temari seemed to be nodding, the concern registering, while the Kazekage's eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm not saying your weak brother, I'm not saying you can't handle this, but Sunagakure needs you right now."

The mention of his duty brought Gaara to silence, Jade gaze distant. For a moment Kankuro feared resistance before his brother turned away, nodding to Temari.

"Be careful Kankuro," Temari whispered solemnly, only her eyes showing the relief she felt at having Gaara's agreement.

"Don't make me regret this," Gaara added in a dangerous undertone before both Suna shinobi were gone.

At the prospect at not having to worry for his siblings, a shudder of tension eased from Kankuro-though only a bit. His expression hardened once more and Karasu sprang to life, charging out with him into the flurry of battle. This was war after all and one could never be too comfortable.

* * *

"The Sound are weakening," Ibiki, one of the few Konoha Shinobi that Kankuro recognized, called from over the top of steepled fingertips. His steely gaze roved over the present shinobi, mostly sand, some leaf. "It is critical that we eliminate the disbanded parties now, so we will split off."

A hand rose up, gesturing first to Kankuro, then to the silver haired sensei of Naruto, Kakashi, if the Suna nin recalled correctly. A nondescript leaf shinobi joined them before they moved out of the briefing tent into the warm, sparsely treed desert that wed desert to forest.

"It's been a long time, Kankuro."

Green eyes rose to fiercely study the other male, a sneering retort on his lips even before he met the other's gaze. Before he could fully process it, the annoyance died and he was left stunned, if only for a brief moment. The sliding sands beneath his sandals drifted away from his conscious, the slightly grainy wind joining it on a plane of nevermore.

Kakashi Hatake, Copy Nin, Jounin leader of Team Seven, was smiling at him, devilish lips curled beneath that mask, visible eye curved in a pleasant half moon. Silver locks hung limp before his face, dampened with what Kankuro would assume was water he'd dumped on himself. And he looked absolutely...

Something twanged in Kankuro, in that dark untouched piece of his heart that he refused to admit existed. It snarled and expanded over his conscious until he was blushing mildly, the image a bit too strong for his teenage mind to banish at once.

After what felt like forever, but was really only ten seconds or so, Kankuro managed a coherent response, self-assured smirk locking back into place. "Huh, yeah. We're on the same side this time, lucky for you."

At this the Sharingan Knight snorted derisively. "Oh yes," he drawled, "very fortunate."

They walked in silence, Kankuro casting occasional glances at the other (and blatantly ignoring the existence of the third, unnamed nin). His keen shinobi senses told him he received the same in turn (which is what had given him the courage to glance in the first place), much to his pleasure. His senses also told him when seventeen shuriken came sailing through the air. Kuroai came roaring out, taking the weapon's blows even as Karasu sprang to life and hurled a return hail of kunai.

The third nin sprinted off in hot pursuit as two blurs went left, Kakashi remaining stationary at Kankuro's side. Both Genius and Puppet Master were silent, senses spreading, touching on the chakra around them. Gradually the younger male's expression grew more and more cynical, a brow quirked, lips downturned.

Of course, he wasn't scared. Or at least he didn't show it as doing so would show humanity, something very exploitable in war. So instead he looked the picture of calm, the Copy Nin even one upping him by pulling out a brilliant orange book.

A twig snapped and that was all it took to break the illusion of secrecy. Karasu was swinging on chakra lines in an instant and Kuroai moved to block for Kakashi as the other shinobi rushed, hitai-ate sliding up to reveal that blood red eye that was so spoken of. Everything was a blur of motion, puppets dancing to his every command, blocking, attacking, blood splattering every which way. A kunai caught his leg, but he had no time to wheel out Sanshuo, only kicking back with brute strength aided by chakra to snap the man's neck. A shuriken sliced Kakashi's cheek, but his blur never ceased, slaying, killing...

The last one fell to a tag team of Kankuro's puppets, which was lucky, as his fingers felt ready to fall off, bone and all. The blue chakra strings fluttered and faded, leaving the puppet master to rub aching, numbed hands. He felt drained from the loss of so much chakra and very old, the fatigue showing in his young face more then it should have.

Numbly he turned to watch Kakashi pick his way through a patch of trees, lingering over bodies here and there before moving on. The other nin's expression was at peace, if a bit tired, but it made him look no less attractive, perhaps even more so.

Being earnest had never been a strong point for Kankuro, so it was with a disgruntled tone that he called, "You alive?"

Mismatched eyes rose and a smile plastered into place, but the top half wasn't into it. "Oh my, it appears so. Pity for them," he mused, the last part in a sweet singsong voice. Blood had formed a small trough atop his mask, thick droplets rolling down to stain the navy.

Something, whether it was the blood, his own fatigue, or the remaining adrenaline, crushed that rock wall around Kankuro's heart with the brute force of the Godaime Hokage. The Suna Shinobi stalked across the clearing littered with bodies, shoving aside those mental flags, setting flame to any doubts. By god he was GOING to do this, whether he actually wanted to or not. With physical strength borne of years hefting puppets, Kankuro grabbed hold of Kakashi's arm and gave a sharp tug.

For a split second Kakashi looked inquisitive before there was surprise, both Sharingan and normal eye widened. His shinobi reflexes hadn't even panged, having sensed long before that the intent of the motion was not ill, and he was left frozen with shock, mind scrambling to recover some semblance of order.

Kankuro stared up seriously at the other male, though he'd been rather pleased to find Kakashi perfectly whole beneath that mask, it didn't show. The copy nin had become unreadable, returning the stare so that a thrum of tension ran like a jagged knife through the air.

Finally he spoke. "Tempting, but I don't fuck minors or foreign shinobi."

No flush of embarrassment rose on Kankuro's expression, no mild stammer passed his lips. A dark look began to narrow his features at this response. Furious thoughts chased each other about as the older male turned away. Something such as this would not go untouched for long. He was, after all, Kankuro.

"You had no problem with Itachi."

All at once Kakashi stilled, shoulders drawn back tensely. There was a defensive bite to his voice when he responded, "That was very different."

Of course, this was easy to retort to for a younger brother. "Oh yeah? How? Oh that's right, he was only about fifteen and an enemy of Konoha, whereas I'm almost eighteen and an ally. Makes perfect sense."

There was silence for a moment, one in which Kankuro made a voiced comment that would either break, or seal the deal.

"I'm not asking for your god damned undying loyalty here. Just a fuck. "

Kakashi turned then, his smile wry. "You got me."

Within ten seconds the younger nin had a tree at his back, a knee wedged between his thighs.

**

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**

Looking back on that day so many months before, Kakashi realized he had only one problem, one variable. A variable with a wit of steel and a very persuasive tongue, take that as you will. He glanced over to this variable that lay in his bed, utterly nude. He looked his age for once, the face paint having gone down the drain some time ago during their shower.

And he chuckled. At least this one was an ally.

**Owari**

* * *

Shameless advertising time! You need to go and read 'Blood' by IamZuul on the Hidden Village. It's gorgeous.

Oh and one more thing.

Want me to write you something? Request it! I'll consider it…just know what pairings I will not write by my profile. M'kthnxbai!

-Crimson-


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